The project, which aims to supply 1.2 million smart energy meters with funding from the World Bank, has raised concerns among local manufacturers.

TechEconomy understands that between January 2019 and January 31, 2021, local manufacturers successfully deployed and installed a total of 611,231 energy meters across the country.

MAN issued a statement expressing its worry that the financial requirements and technical specifications outlined by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) appear to heavily favor foreign manufacturers.

These requirements are deemed excessively stringent and contradict the guidelines set by the Central Bank of Nigeria for the NMMP implementation.

Manufacturers highlight that they have made significant investments in expanding their manufacturing capacities in line with the Federal Government’s backward integration policy and the introduction of the NMMP.

They have also extensively trained and promoted a highly skilled workforce to meet the power sector’s demands as envisioned in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry.

The statement emphasizes the potential repercussions of excluding local manufacturers, citing a previous instance in 2012 when they were sidelined in meter supply, resulting in the delivery of substandard meters by foreign companies that were initially awarded the contract but were later removed from the network.

MAN warns that a similar scenario may be unfolding, which poses significant risks to the power sector.

While the TCN argues that the installation of meters will create employment opportunities for Nigerians, MAN contends that the scale of job creation will pale in comparison to what could be achieved by including local manufacturers in the scheme.

MAN estimates that the inclusion of local manufacturers would lead to a job creation ratio of 1 to 10, far surpassing the potential employment opportunities from the installation alone.

Furthermore, MAN asserts that the apparent intentional denial of opportunities for local manufacturers fails to recognize their commendable performance thus far.

IMAN calls for a reconsideration of the current approach to the NMMP Phase II project. They advocate for the inclusion of local manufacturers, emphasizing the potential benefits for the power sector, the national economy, and employment generation in Nigeria.

Speaking during the presentation of certificates to the graduands, Folake Soetan, the Chief Executive Officer, Ikeja Electric, said Ikeja Electric Metering Academy was launched in 2020 as a result of shortage in human capacity for the installation of meters, resulting in slow pace of metering across its network.

The CEO who was represented by Mrs. Sequinat Akinwunmi, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ikeja Electric, said the training was done in collaboration with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) and the Energy Training Centre (ETC).

According to her, the young graduands were selected across Ikeja Electric’s six Business Units – Akowonjo, Shomolu, Abule-Egba, Ikeja, Oshodi and Ikorodu. Akinwunmi said the essence of the training was to bridge the metering gap in the industry which aligns with the vision of Ikeja Electric, as well as the Federal Government’s National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

“The programme will also equip staff to carry out the functions including meter installation, identifying faults and also rectifying the faults. This will in turn improve service delivery, ensure customer satisfaction, and also grow revenue,” she added.

“This programme is very important to us. That is why we have put in a lot of resources and time, and also partnered with NAPTIN and ETC to close up this skill gap in the industry,” Akinwunmi further explained. While congratulating the graduating students, she tasked them to be worthy ambassadors of Ikeja Electric and adhere to safety standards which is one of the DisCo’s core values.

Mrs. Ibiene Okeleke, the Managing Director, Energy Training Centre, said: “Ikeja Electric had invested heavily in the Metering Academy. They partnered with Energy Training Centre (ETC) to ensure the 140 candidates were trained by the Metering Academy, across three batches.

According to her, “The Energy Training Centre had signed a partnership with NAPTIN, which is the sector’s regulated training centre that works with Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). So, NAPTIN was acting as the certifying body, and as such, they ensured that the programme followed the curriculum and the right content, and there is quality assurance as well. And so NAPTIN did not just play this role in certifying, they ensured that the faculty maintained high standard.”

She commended Ikeja Electric for investing massively in such a laudable programme, while noting that the initiative shows the commitment of the company to get people who have the desire to do things the right way.

She added, “It was also important for us to reflect on the opportunities to increase the revenue of IE through meter data management, optimization of operations and other initiatives.”

Mr. Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, the Director-General, NAPTIN, explained that the institute was saddled with the responsibility to build human capacity and to coordinate training in the power sector.

He said the training would also help to shore up the DisCo’s revenue collection and improve customer satisfaction, apart from increasing the level of efficiency of the graduands,

Speaking on behalf of the graduating students, Mr. Akingbade Adeniyi, Mr Tomilayo Oluborode and Ms. Gloria Gomina, thanked Ikeja Electric for facilitating the training. According to them, they have been equipped on how to install meters, identify meter bypass and meter management among other things which would improve their job performances going forward.